'My granddaughter died at three days old, now I'm running in her memory'

A man is running 10k to raise funds for the hospital that treated his granddaughter who died when she was three days old.

Mick Haigh, 68, from Apperley Bridge in Bradford, is running the Leeds 10k with his four grandsons to raise money for Bradford Hospitals Charity.

His granddaughter Alice was born in December 2018 and was treated at Bradford Royal Infirmary's neonatal unit.

"Running in memory of Alice on Father's Day will be really special, and having my grandsons by my side as we cross the finish line in her memory will be emotional for sure - it'll certainly be a race I won't forget," he said.

The family are running under the team name Alice's Army and hope to raise money to support the charity to refurbish and expand the neonatal unit.

Alice's parents Cara and Lee Haigh began fundraising in 2023, when the family ran their first Leeds 10k, raising £2,000.

This year four of Mick's grandsons – and Cara and Lee's nephews - Elliot Ratcliffe, Thomas Ratcliffe, Owen Davies and Ryan Davies, are running for the first time.

Mr Haigh said despite it being their first time he expected they would be waiting for him at the finish line.

"In my younger days, when I was my grandsons' age, I did the Leeds Marathon three times.

"We've been training along the canal, which is pretty flat, because the course itself isn't that bad.

"The last bit coming into Little London from Meanwood Road. That's the hard part.

"We'll save ourselves for that."

The family's first 10k in 2023 was timed to mark what would have been Alice's fifth birthday.

"It was quite fitting for us to take part in that run," said Cara Haigh.

"We wanted to give something back. They do such an amazing job and such vital work that we wanted to try and raise a bit of money."

The hospital's BIG Neonatal Appeal will support the refurbishment and expansion of the unit, allowing families to stay closer to their babies during treatments.

It will also help fund a garden where families can reflect and relax and an indoor play area for siblings.

Mrs Haigh said it had "meant the world" to have time with Alice in the room provided by the charity, and wanted to ensure other families could benefit from the support.

"I had never been on a neonatal unit. I hadn't seen babies that were poorly being cared for. And it really opened my eyes up and my husband Lee's eyes up to just what exactly they do.

"They go above and beyond for every child to try to get them home to their family."

She said "unfortunately that wasn't the ending" of their story.

"But they work so hard to make these children better so that they can go on and live happy and healthy lives."

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